nickjs wrote:Hi guys , I have a bac2000 that has been sitting on my shelf for a few months gathering dust because for the life of me I cannot get it to connect to my pc ! Really want to get this running

Can you offer any advice?

I'm running windows ten .

Thanks !

Hi nickjs:

I used the attached hook-up schematic that Justin L-E posted some time ago in the first ASI thread. Please note that the schematic has a couple of errors:

1) TTL TX should be attached to Pin 3 of the 16-pin molex.
2) The 80k pull-up resistor should be connected to Pin 4 of the 16-pin molex, NOT Pin 5.

In other words, these two connections should be shifted one pin DOWN. I noted this in writing on the document but I was unable to alter the diagram.

To get you started I have also attached a parameter file that works for my Edge1500 DD hub motor and a 48-volt (nominal) system enabling variable regenerative braking using a CA3. You should go through the tuning process for your specific motor to get the best performance, and you may wish to change some of the other parameters to suit your application.

Thanks mrbill, I appreciate that , how does the variable regen work ? Do you need to twist a separate throttle? Have you got your variable regen working well ? That is a feature I'm very interested in ! More details please .

I think the problem with connecting to the pc maybe something to do with my rs485- USB lead, I checked and this lead can only take a baud rate of 300 , and I think bacdoor uses 115200 baud .

I've ordered one with ftdi chip ( which is apparently what ASI uses according to their knowledge base ) with baud rate up to 115200 bps . I am hoping that will fix it and I'll finally get it working !

nickjs wrote:Thanks mrbill, I appreciate that , how does the variable regen work ? Do you need to twist a separate throttle? Have you got your variable regen working well ? That is a feature I'm very interested in ! More details please .

I think the problem with connecting to the pc maybe something to do with my rs485- USB lead, I checked and this lead can only take a baud rate of 300 , and I think bacdoor uses 115200 baud .

I've ordered one with ftdi chip ( which is apparently what ASI uses according to their knowledge base ) with baud rate up to 115200 bps . I am hoping that will fix it and I'll finally get it working !

thanks again for the diagram that will come in very handy !

I wrote earlier in this thread:

The BAC2000 is capable of variable regeneration, and the CA3 sends the BAC2000 the proper throttle voltage signals so that the latter knows when the throttle voltage is controlling propulsion or engine braking. (Propulsion between 1.0 and 3.5 volts; braking between 0.8 and 0.1 volts.) The throttle on my handlebars does double duty: a normal throttle when driving, and a variable regeneration lever when the CA3 e-brake circuit is closed. The system works like a charm.

The .xml parameter file I posted is configured for this throttle behavior. You will need to set up your CA3 so that the throttle is attached to the CA3, and the CA3 sends its throttle signal to the BAC2000, per the wiring diagram I posted above.

In addition to variable regen, I can limit speed on the CA3, using the AuxD 2-button switch with roughly 4 kph increments between 12 kph up to my maximum speed so that I can set a speed on long descents and not be required to hold the throttle in one position for long periods of time or vary it precisely over changing terrain while regenerating. Works especially nicely when the downgrade varies as the CA3 varies the amount of regeneration to hold a set speed.

I didn't see where you mentioned what USB to rs232 cable that you have. I personally have 7 different ones and 2 computers with physical RS232 ports on them. NONE of them worked with the BAC2000. I had to get a specific cable that ASI uses and then I connect no problem. Buy this cable and that should get you going. I bought it from this ebay seller, but they are currently out of stock. Just get this cable and you are good to go.

You only need 3 wires out of the RS232 cable...RX (org), TX (yel) and GND (blk). I have my wires labled by what they connect to on the ASI controller...not by what they really are. Orange is actually TX on the cable and yellow is actually RX, but since you plug the opposite function into the controller, I just labeled them with what they connect to. On the controller you need 3 wires. RX (gry/blk), TX (yel/blk) and black (gnd). These are pins 3, 13 and 14. So yellow from the cable connects to yel/blk on the controller, orange connects to grey/black on the controller and black to black. I didn't need to load any drivers on windows 8.1. In device manager, the RS232 port changes about half the time between com3 and com6...go figure. Be sure to select the correct COM port in BacDoor. Other than this cable and connecting it correctly, you obviously need power and enable. Connect the white wire (pin 9) to batt+ to enable the controller. Once you get that going and you can successfully connect to the controller, then worry about connecting a motor and throttle. With this controller you don't even need to connect the right colors for halls and phases together. It will "learn" that stuff later. Still...just because all the other controllers out there need the correct pairing up front to run a motor, I connected them color for color. I suggest bench testing the controller and motor before ever mounting anything to a frame. It's so much easier to fiddle with things when it's all just laying on your desk. Later, you will also need red (+5v, pin 8 ), blue (throttle, pin 7) and black (gnd, pin 15) to connect up a throttle. I wouldn't bother with brakes right now. In fact just disable that stuff in the controller. It will only get in the way for the up front motor setup.

I've bundled up my wires based on what I need and what I don't need. I never use e-brakes to disable the controller. That's what letting off the throttle is for. If I'm too stupid to not let off the throttle while braking, well that's my problem and not the controllers job to compensate for my idiocy. LOL. This set of pics is the wires I need to run the controller. This is RS232, throttle, halls and pin 4 ( another +5v wire)

This set is the wires I will likely never use.

If you don't have the correct pinout, I got this direct from tech support. The online doc found on the ASI site was wrong.

Last edited by ElectricGod on Oct 01, 2017 9:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.

nickjs wrote:Hi guys , I have a bac2000 that has been sitting on my shelf for a few months gathering dust because for the life of me I cannot get it to connect to my pc ! Really want to get this running

amberwolf wrote:If you post the assistance publicly instead of by PM, it would help a lot more people. That's what this forum is all about.

True amberwolf, however, being an ASi employee, I do have to be careful about what gets said.

Sometimes things that work, may be outside of documented specifications, and I have to take responsibility for mistakes that may harm the controller. If, hypothetically someone asks why they don't run at 100V, and insists that they will, and then tries it and it blows up, I can't have it come back to me saying that I suggested it publicly. (and I wouldn't, because they aren't designed to do that)

So, if it is an innocuous question, who's answer will be helpful for everyone, yes... it should (and will) be done in the open forum. (and it will help to pad the Q/A in my KB)

amberwolf wrote:If you post the assistance publicly instead of by PM, it would help a lot more people. That's what this forum is all about.

True amberwolf, however, being an ASi employee, I do have to be careful about what gets said.

Sometimes things that work, may be outside of documented specifications, and I have to take responsibility for mistakes that may harm the controller. If, hypothetically someone asks why they don't run at 100V, and insists that they will, and then tries it and it blows up, I can't have it come back to me saying that I suggested it publicly. (and I wouldn't, because they aren't designed to do that)

So, if it is an innocuous question, who's answer will be helpful for everyone, yes... it should (and will) be done in the open forum. (and it will help to pad the Q/A in my KB)

Hi Martin,

You and I have communicated via email a good bit. This is the sort of place that promotes change. For example the overly limited voltage range (72 volts rather than 82 volts) in these controllers and a complete lack of speed control like the rest of the planet uses. I've offered to PAY for these changes and that fell flat and yet clearly these controllers NEED the maximum voltage set to 20S and actual speed control that tracks throttle position. And a basic vs advanced mode in the config app. Anyway, thanks for posting in this thread. Maybe by publicly exposing ASI's lack of desire to make what is a decent product that lacks some important functionality into an excellent one will create change. My only desire is to make these controllers excellent and to be able to use them to a much larger extent, but if ASI won't listen to it's customers, then I'm forced to find other solutions.

I really wanted to succeed with ASI, but that's seemingly unlikely.

In between time, I have a BAC2000 so as a minimum I'm going to help out folks use them. Feel free to post in this thread.

Those are rad controllers and indeed the base of some ebikes.ca equipment. We purchased one at the last robotics startup I worked butt did not have much time to fiddle (we were looking for 2 degree step precision like a stepper motor)

With content broken up by pics it attracts more readers, keeps them engaged, breaks up the huge text blocks, and otherwise flows well and allows immediate visual reference to prose for our non-english readers who are trying to translate.

I know that when I am mining German gold or some other non-english content the translation goes MUCH easier if the context is broken up by inline pics.

"I never use e-brakes to disable the controller. That's what letting off the throttle is for. If I'm too stupid to not let off the throttle while braking, well that's my problem and not the controllers job to compensate for my idiocy."

... And that's what I thought too until my throttle shorted one day in heavy car traffic while I was lane splitting and jumped the bike to full power heading towards a red light at a 4 way intersection. Added a bar mount kill switch instead of brake cutoffs, holding the brake one handed while the motor rampaged and dodging cars while yanking a fist full of wiring harness out with the other was no fun.

I might have missed whether you have a kill switch too, mostly a PSA for those without one about the practicality of some cut off device reachable without letting go of the brakes...

Voltron wrote:Totally minor side comment, but you wrote this Electricgod,

"I never use e-brakes to disable the controller. That's what letting off the throttle is for. If I'm too stupid to not let off the throttle while braking, well that's my problem and not the controllers job to compensate for my idiocy."

... And that's what I thought too until my throttle shorted one day in heavy car traffic while I was lane splitting and jumped the bike to full power heading towards a red light at a 4 way intersection. Added a bar mount kill switch instead of brake cutoffs, holding the brake one handed while the motor rampaged and dodging cars while yanking a fist full of wiring harness out with the other was no fun.

I might have missed whether you have a kill switch too, mostly a PSA for those without one about the practicality of some cut off device reachable without letting go of the brakes...

I was in a driving rain storm and had a similar issue happen to me. Water got into the hall and shorted the +v and signal lines. The motor wanted to run so I just turned off the controller via the key switch. Effectively the same thing as your kill switch. I then had full control of the scooter. Once the light turned green, I flipped on the switch and road the rest of the way home. As long as throttle was equal or higher than the resistance of the water, I had total control. It was 2 miles later when I pulled into my drive way, that I had to turn off the key again. I took the throttle apart and found that the legs on the hall were not covered in heat shrink. I was asking for a short no matter what! I pulled the hall out and heat shrunk the legs and wires. I've never had the problem since. I don't have a kill switch and probably never will. I do like the idea however. I always include extra switches and buttons in my builds for possible future use. One of these could easily be implemented for just this purpose...if I wanted.